Snoozecast

Tonight, we’ll read a selection from “The Crow’s Nest”, also known as “On the other side of the latch” by Sara Jeanette Duncan, who also published as Mrs. Everard Cotes and Garth Grafton.

Duncan worked as a travel writer for Canadian newspapers and a columnist for the Toronto Globe and eventually the Washington Post. Later she made a journey to India and married an Anglo-Indian civil servant thereafter dividing her time between England and India. She wrote 22 works of fiction, many with international themes and settings.

Unlike her travel writing, The Crow’s Nest is a memoir of description and not action as Duncan spends her time in recovery at a mountain house in Simla, India as she undergoes a rest cure for tuberculosis.

In the passage we’ll read tonight, Duncan pauses contemplating her current situation and turns her attention to the garden at the home where she is exiled.

— read by 'V' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne.

In the last episode, Arronax and the crew of the Nautilus reach the South Pole. They encounter a scattered icebergs and various wildlife. Captain Nemo expresses uncertainty about their exact location and decides to take bearings. We pick up right after Arronax’s and Captain Nemo’s last conversation where they discuss the importance of taking observations the next day, as it marks the equinox and the last opportunity for six months to determine their position at the South Pole before the polar night descends. The captain expresses confidence that if they can see the sun exactly cut by the northern horizon at noon, it will confirm their location. Despite potential mathematical errors due to the equinox not necessarily beginning at noon, the captain is optimistic that their bearings will be accurate enough. They agree to reconvene after breakfast to choose a suitable observation post ashore.

— read by 'N' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, we’ll read from “The Buddha’s Path of Virtue: A Translation of the Dhammapada” by F. L. Woodward. This episode first aired in 2021.

The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures.

This particular translation by Woodward was published by The Theosophical Society, which was founded by Madame Helena Blavatsky. You can listen to some of her travel memoir in our episode from January 2020 titled “Madame Blavatsky Visits Bombay | From the Caves and Jungles of Hindustan.”

— read by 'N' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast original titled “Koofy: Diary of a Robot Vacuum Cleaner”. Koofy, a diligent vacuum cleaner from the KFY company performs his daily routines with humility. Initially a source of joy and fascination for the family’s toddler and baby, Koofy’s role takes an unexpected turn as the children’s reactions shift from amusement to cautiosness.

Facing the possibility of retirement, Koofy finds solace and wisdom from some of the other kitchen appliances in their late night conversations.

— read by 'V' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, we’ll read the 16th chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “Diana is Invited to Tea with Tragic Results”.

In the last episode, Anne attends school and is oblivious to Gilbert Blythe’s attempts to get her attention, which culminates in him teasingly calling her “Carrots”. Infuriated, Anne reacts impulsively by breaking her slate over Gilbert’s head, an act that causes a significant stir among their classmates.

Anne is publicly shamed by Mr. Phillips, the teacher which deeply humiliates her and solidifies her resolve not to return to school under such disgrace. The incident also cements her animosity towards Gilbert, despite his attempts to apologize. She eventually decides to return to school when she realizes how much she would miss Diana.

— read by 'N' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, for our monthly Snoozecast+ Deluxe bonus episode, we’ll read a Snoozecast Original, inspired by the Brothers Grimm tale “Rumpelstiltskin”.

In this reimagined version, a country miller’s daughter is thrust into the realm of kings and gnomes due to her father’s loud boasts. Greta must navigate royal demands and mystical deals to protect what is most precious to her.

The tale of Rumpelstiltskin, with its origins steeped in European folklore, has been captivating audiences for centuries. First formally recorded by the Brothers Grimm in the early 19th century, the narrative explores the motifs of bargaining and naming, language and promises.

— read by 'N' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, we’ll read from “Canoe and Camp Cookery : A Practical Cook Book For Canoeists, Corinthian Sailors and Outers” by H.H. Soulé [Soul-ay] under the pen name Seneca, published in 1893. This episode first aired in 2021.

Canoes were developed by cultures all over the world. Until the mid-1800s the canoe was an important means of transport for exploration and trade, and in some places is still used as such.

A canoe, in American English, is a lightweight narrow vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top.

In British English, the term "canoe" can also refer to a kayak, while canoes are then called Canadian or “open” canoes to distinguish them from kayaks.

— read by 'V' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Daughter of the Sky: The Story of Amelia Earhart” written by Paul L. Briand and published in 1960. As the New York Times wrote in their review of the book when it was published “While so many were struggling to keep themselves or their business intact, this fine, calm young woman from 1928 to 1937, experienced a whole series of spectacular successes.”

Earhart was an American pioneer of aviation. In 1937 she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her life, she embraced celebrity culture and women's rights, and since her disappearance has become a cultural icon. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and she set many other records.

Recently, in 2024, a company that operates unmanned underwater vehicles found via sonar what appears to be the remains of an airplane on the ocean floor near Howland Island. The object, shaped like her particular plane, was located along the path she had been expected to fly in the Pacific Ocean. More exploration, however, is necessary to confirm whether this is indeed Earhart's missing aircraft.

— read by 'V' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, we’ll read the 5th chapter to “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel.

Our last episode was the chapter titled “Domestic Experiences” in which Meg navigates her life as newlyweds with John. She also grapples with the expectations placed upon her (and which she places on herself) as a married woman, striving to embody the ideal of a "good little wife." Meg faces challenges as she navigates the complexities of married life, but also finds moments of joy and fulfillment in her role, learning the importance of compromise, communication, and mutual respect.

— read by 'V' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonight, we’ll read from “The Red House Mystery” by A. A. Milne, published in 1922. This episode is dedicated to Kerry, who first recommended the author Milne to us. It was Milne’s only mystery novel, and yet it was immensely popular. It falls into the “locked room” whodunnit category.

The setting is an English country house, where Mark Ablett has been entertaining a house party. The black sheep of his family arrives from Australia and a mystery ensues.

There is a preface to this book by the author that reads “My dear Father,

Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective stories, and feel that there are not enough of them. So, after all that you have done for me, the least that I can do for you is to write you one. Here it is: with more gratitude and affection than I can well put down here.”

— read by 'V' —

Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to snoozecast.com/plus!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.